New report reveals hidden impact of fatherhood on heart health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men, and fatherhood may further increase the risk of poor heart health in older age, reports a new study from researchers at Northwestern University and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

The study, which included 2,814 men aged 45 to 84, found that fathers had poorer cardiovascular health at older ages compared to men without children. Participants' heart health was assessed based on their diet, physical activity, smoking, weight, blood pressure, and blood lipid and glucose levels.

“The changes in heart health that we found suggest that the added responsibility of caring for children and the stress associated with the transition to fatherhood may make it more difficult for men to maintain healthy lifestyle choices, such as healthy eating and exercise,” said lead study author Dr. John James Parker, an internist, pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics and general internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“We really need to study fathers as a unique population and track men's health as they become fathers. Cardiovascular health is especially important because all the factors that affect it are modifiable.”

The study was published as a peer-reviewed preprint in the journal AJPM Focus, and the final version will be published shortly.

Fathers have worse heart health, but lower mortality rates

Even though the fathers in the study had poorer heart health in later life, the study found that they actually had a lower mortality rate compared to men without children. Parker believes this discrepancy may be due to the fact that fathers may have a more developed social support system, and social connectedness is associated with lower mortality.

"Fathers may be more likely to have someone to care for them in the future (such as their children), helping them attend medical appointments and manage medications and treatments as they age," Parker said. “We also found that fathers had fewer depressive symptoms than fatherless men, so mental health may contribute to lower age-adjusted mortality rates among fathers.”

The study included men who identified as black, Chinese, Hispanic, or white, and the age-adjusted mortality rate for all black fathers was lower than for black men without children, the only racial and ethnic subgroup with such association.

“Fatherhood may be a protective factor for black men,” Parker said. “Perhaps becoming a father helps black men lead healthier lives. Further study of this relationship could have important public health implications."

Previous studies assessing fatherhood, cardiovascular health, cardiovascular disease, and mortality did not include racially and ethnically diverse populations or comprehensively assess cardiovascular health. This study is new because it included men from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

This study also examined the impact of the age at which men become fathers on heart health and disease outcomes. Interestingly, men who became fathers at younger ages (25 years or younger), especially black and Hispanic men, had poorer heart health and higher mortality rates and may need targeted clinical and public attention.

“If you are under 25, you may be less financially stable, your brain may be less mature, and, especially for racial and ethnic minorities, you may have low-paying jobs with fewer benefits and limited vacation provisions,” Parker said. “All of this can make it difficult to focus on your health. There are many public measures for young mothers, but no one has ever considered young fathers in this aspect.”

“A father’s health has a significant impact on his family”

Because the majority of men in the United States are fathers, identifying some of the explanations for the relationship between health, disease and fatherhood could have important implications for the health of men, especially men of color, scientists said.

“Often we focus on the health of mothers and children and don't even think about fathers, but their health has a significant impact on their family,” Parker said, citing previous studies that have shown higher rates of obesity among partners if their spouse is obese. “To improve the health of families, we need to consider the multidimensional relationships between mothers, fathers, other caregivers and children.”

The study also found higher rates of smoking among fathers, which Parker said is surprising since other studies have found that many fathers quit smoking once they have children.

"This study looked at older fathers, so it's possible that men quit smoking when they become fathers, but then perhaps they become more stressed and start smoking again," Parker said. "In any case, we need to look at what's going on with smoking rates, because smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, and if a father smokes, it also affects his family."

Scientists measured the cardiovascular health of study participants using the American Heart Association's 8 Essential Vitals scale (excluding sleep). The men were divided into fathers (82% of study participants) and fathers without children, based on an interview in which participants were asked to list the ages and medical conditions of their children. Men who did not indicate the presence of children were classified as having no children.